The instant invention relates to protective garments, and more particularly to a protective garment made at least partially from a wire mesh material comprising a plurality of loosely interlinked metal wire rings.
It has generally been found that protective garments made from metal wire mesh materials can be effectively utilized for protecting workers in industries, such as the meat cutting industry, against inadvertent knife cuts and puncture wounds. In this regard, a number of different types of metal wire mesh garments, including aprons, coats, gloves, and sleeves have been heretofore available and have been found to be effective for protecting workers against knife wounds. Many of these heretofore available garments have been constructed from wire mesh materials made from relatively large numbers of small interlinked wire rings. However, because materials of this type are inherently limp, i.e. they have no inherent stiffness or form, garments made from these materials tend to collapse or sag unless they incorporate stiffening or retaining elements which maintain them in predetermined forms. For example, it has been found that while it is important for wire mesh gloves to include cuff or gauntlet portions to protect the wrists of workers, the cuff or gauntlet portions of such gloves generally tend to collapse or sag toward the hand portions thereof unless they are supported with stiffening members or supporting straps. As a result, it has been found that the highly vulnerable wrist areas of workers wearing conventional gloves are frequently left unprotected against knife wounds. As an alternative, workers have frequently found it necessary to wear relatively uncomfortable separate plastic cuffs or the like, to protect their wrists against knife wounds.
While various types of stiffening elements have been heretofore available for use in connection with garments made from various fabric materials, the previously available stiffening elements have generally not been practical for use in connection with wire mesh garments, particularly those which are designed for use in the meat cutting industry. In this connection, in order to be effective for use in connection with a wire mesh garment a stiffening element must be capable of being readily and easily secured to the wire mesh portion of the garment, and it must be capable of being effectively and easily cleaned in order to maintain the garment in a sanitary condition. Further, a stiffening element must be capable of maintaining a garment in a predetermined orientation while also allowing the garment to remain sufficiently flexible so that it can be comfortably worn by a user. As a general rule, the heretofore available stiffening elements for garments have simply failed to meet all of these criteria.
The closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in the U.S. Patents to Chapman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,270,697; Lindfeldt, U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,094; Steinberger, U.S. Pat. No. 2,067,424; Berger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,234; Castro, U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,208; Byrnes, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,898; Byrnes, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,295; Anstett, U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,733; Kuhlmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,865; and Kuhlmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,353. However, while these references disclose a variety of different types of protective garments, several of which include stiffening elements, they fail to suggest a garment which includes helically coiled stiffening elements which are interwoven through a wire mesh material in the manner of the stiffening elements of the garment of the instant invention, and hence, they are believed to be of only general interest with respect thereto.
The instant invention provides an effective protective garment which includes a wire mesh portion comprising a plurality of loosely interlinked wire rings, and a plurality of resiliently flexible stiffening elements which are operative for maintaining at least a portion of the wire mesh portion in a predetermined orientation. In this regard, the stiffening elements are specifically adapted so that they are effectively operable in combination with a predetermined wire mesh portion of a garment for effectively maintaining the wire mesh portion in a predetermined orientation while nevertheless maintaining a sufficient degree of flexibility in the garment to enable it to be comfortably worn by a user. Further, the stiffening elements of the garment of the instant invention are adapted so that they are hygienically safe and so that they can be effectively cleaned by conventional cleaning processes.
More specifically, the garment of the instant invention comprises a wire mesh portion of the abovedescribed type and at least one resiliently coiled stiffening element which is preferably made from a resilient corrosion resistant metal, such as stainless steel. The garment preferably comprises a plurality of stiffening elements which are preferably disposed in spaced, substantially parallel relation, and the stiffening elements are interwoven through the wire rings in the wire mesh portion of the garment for maintaining the wire mesh portion in a predetermined orientation. The wire rings in the wire mesh portion are preferably disposed in a plurality of rows of loosely interlinked wire rings wherein adjacent wire rings in adjacent rows are interlinked, and the helically coiled stiffening elements are preferably interwoven through each of a plurality of sequential adjacent wire rings in each of two adjacent rows of wire rings. The wire rings in the wire mesh portion of the garment are preferably of substantially circular configuration and of substantially uniform diameter, and the distance between adjacent coils in the helically coiled stiffening element is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the wire rings.
It has been found that the protective garment of the instant invention can be effectively embodied as a protective glove comprising connected hand and cuff portions and adapted to be received on a hand of a wearer so that the cuff portion extends a distance upwardly along the adjacent wrist of the wearer. The stiffening elements are preferably received in the cuff portion of the glove for maintaining the cuff portion in a predetermined position wherein it is retained against collapsing toward the hand portion when the glove is worn on a hand of a wearer. Specifically, the glove preferably includes a plurality of stiffening elements which are received in the cuff portion in uniformly spaced substantially parallel relation so that they extend upwardly toward the elbow of a wearer for preventing the cuff portion from collapsing downwardly toward the hand portion. The glove preferably further comprises first and second strap portions which are attached to opposite first and second ends of the cuff portion and adapted so that they are receivable in circling relation around a wrist of a wearer when the glove is received on an adjacent hand. The opposite ends of the stiffening elements are preferably embedded in the strap portions so that the stiffening elements extend between the strap portions for maintaining the strap portions in substantially uniformly spaced relation.
It has been found that the protective garment of the instant invention can be effectively utilized for protecting a wearer against inadvertent knife wounds during meat cutting operations. Specifically, it has been found that the stiffening elements are effectively operative for maintaining the garment of the instant invention in a predetermined orientation wherein it is most effective for protecting the body of a wearer. It has been further found that the stiffening elements are hygienically safe and that they can be readily and easily cleaned along with the remainder of the garment. It has been further found that the stiffening elements are highly resistant to deterioration and breakage so that they can be effectively utilized for maintaining the glove of the instant invention in a predetermined form over a prolonged period of time.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an improved protective garment for use in meat cutting operations.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective protective garment comprising a wire mesh portion and a helically coiled stiffening element which is interwoven in the wire mesh portion for maintaining the latter in a predetermined orientation.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide a protective garment comprising a wire mesh portion and a plurality of helically coiled wire stiffening elements which are operative for maintaining the wire mesh portion in a predetermined orientation.
An even still further object of the instant invention is to provide an effective wire mesh glove including a cuff portion having a plurality of helically coiled wire stiffening elements therein for maintaining the cuff portion in a predetermined orientation.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.